Free Student Bus Pass Program

Did you know that you can sign up for the Free Student Bus Pass Program at Fairfax High School and Lanier Middle School and ride the City of Fairfax CUE and Fairfax Connector for free? You can check for more information at your school’s administration office; you need to have your parent’s/guardian’s approval for signing up. Students who are home schooled or attend private school may contact Tom Italiano at taitaliano@fcps.edu to receive a pass.

The free student bus pass permits students to ride City of Fairfax CUE and Fairfax Connector for free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Students must contact their school's administration office to get the appropriate forms to sign up.

Parental/guardian consent is required for this program (this is a requirement of FCPS; Fairfax County Government and the City of Fairfax do not distribute consent forms.)

Tips for Riding City of Fairfax CUE and Fairfax Connector

Have your student pass out and ready to show the driver when you board the bus.

Your Free Student Pass will only work on City of Fairfax CUE and Fairfax Connector. If you switch to Metro or another bus system you will need cash or a SmarTrip® card.

Your pass works seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Other times you will need cash or a SmarTrip® card.

Another important thing to remember is to give respect to get respect. It’s important to be kind to other riders, especially those with special needs. There are seats designed just for them so try to avoid sitting there.

If you get lost or turned around, the CUE and Fairfax Connector drivers are great! Just tell them you need help and they will help you.

Coming soon:

Beginning in fall 2018, the Free Student Bus Pass program is transitioning from the "flash pass" to a specially designed SmarTrip card. Just like with the flash pass, this SmarTrip card allows you to ride CUE and Connector for free, however instead of showing your card to the driver, you will need to tap this on the farebox when you board in order to ride for free.

This SmarTrip card has a few advantages: you can keep the same card until you graduate (no need to sign up for a new card each year), and if you accidentally lose the card, the school can deactivate it so it won't be misused. It's also easier for drivers to keep track of trips recorded with a SmarTrip card.

However, unlike on a regular SmarTrip card, this Student Bus Pass not have any cash value and does not allow you to pay fares on Metrorail, Metrobus, or other transit systems. If you need to ride somewhere on another system, you will need to pay the fare separately. (For Metro fare options, visit www.wmata.com)

More information about the new card will be available before the school year begins.